We encourage all participants to explore what activities are available to them via their school as soon as possible. and to join at least one. You may obtain this information on your school's website prior to arrival and/or your host parents or siblings may help you determine which activities are available to you.
Participating in sports (i.e., Tennis, Track and Field) or extracurricular activities such as, clubs or school leadership roles, is an excellent way to meet people, learn new skills and help keep your spirits up early on in the experience when you may be missing family and friends back home. In addition, some sports or activities are available year-round, and others are only available depending on the time of year. If you find you'd like to join an activity later in the year, don't hesitate to ask your classmates or school counselor how to sign up or "try out" for a sport! (See below for more information on sports and "try outs.")
It is important for you to discuss transportation needs for any extra-curricular activities with your host parent/s. If they are unable to provide transportation for you, your AFS liaison can work with you to identify other options.
I play sports in my home country. Can I play sports in the United States?
Athletic eligibility or participation is not guaranteed. Usually, sports are very popular in the U.S., and this is a great way to make friends. However, there are some limitations and participation is never guaranteed. Participation on a sports team in the U.S. is often dependent on statewide, district, or even specific high school policies. Check with your student advisor about participating in sports.
Additional restrictions on athletic eligibility may apply to hosted participants in “direct” placements. According to U.S. State Department regulations, a direct placement is “any placement in which either the student or the sending organization in the foreign country is party to an arrangement with any other party, including receiving school personnel, whereby the student will attend a particular school or live with a particular host family.”
Many American schools offer two types of sport systems: official school sports and intramural sports. Official school sports include teams that are officially supported by both the school and community. Official school sport teams compete against other schools. Depending on the size of the host school, it is important to note that official school sports may be extremely competitive and therefore participation is not guaranteed. Intramural sports are not officially supported by the school and participants do not compete against other schools. Not all schools offer intramural sports. Check with your student advisor.
Most states in the U.S. will NOT allow exchange students to participate in official school sports IF the exchange student already graduated from high school in their home country OR if they are OVER 18 years old. In this case, you may be allowed to practice with the team but NOT compete in games with other schools.
There are three seasons for school sports — fall, winter, and spring—with different sports offered each season.
You may have to “try out” in order to be selected for a team. Try-outs for many fall sports begin before school starts, so if you would like to be involved in a sport at the beginning of the school year, ask your host family to help you find out about fall sports tryouts. This is a great way to meet people before school starts.
Both boys and girls participate in sports. Teams usually have a practice every day after school and may have two or more competitions with other schools per week. Each team has at least one coach who supervises the team. If you join a team, you are expected to participate fully and respect the coaches.
Does it cost anything to join a team?
Students wishing to participate in athletics in the U.S. normally must undergo a medical exam also called a sports physical. The cost of any such medical exams or medical tests needed to participate in athletics is the responsibility of the participant, as are any other fees charged by the school or sponsoring organization in order to participate. Many teams have fundraisers to help students pay for uniforms and transportation. If your team has a fundraiser, you should participate along with the other students
Note about Swimwear for Males in the U.S. Generally, only members of swim or diving teams wear the small, tight, swimsuits referred to in the U.S. as “Speedos.” Instead, males in the U.S. generally wear “swimming trunks,” which are similar to regular shorts but with an interior lining.